Every season, a different set of players face a crossroads or have something to prove for a variety of reasons. The most common reasons are related to age, contract or salary cap concerns, injury, poor performance or off-the-field issues. Edge rusher Jaelen Phillips is a prime example of capitalizing when there's something to prove.
He bounced back from two straight injury-plagued seasons in 2025. Phillips had played eight games in 2023 when a right Achilles tear ended his season. He tore his right ACL four games into the 2024 season.
Fortunately for Phillips, a 2021 first-round pick, he wasn't hitting the open market immediately after two straight injury-plagued seasons. The Achilles injury didn't deter the Miami Dolphins from picking up his fully guaranteed fifth-year option for 2025 worth $13.251 million. He played 17 games in 2025.
Phillips helped fill a void created from losing edge rusher Josh Sweat to the Arizona Cardinals in 2025 free agency when the Philadelphia Eagles acquired him from the Dolphins for a 2026 third-round pick ahead of the midseason trade deadline last November. He thrived in Philadelphia. His 41 quarterback pressures (combined sacks, quarterback hurries and quarterback hits) were for the league's sixth most from Week 10 through the end of the 2025 regular season, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Eagles becoming one of the NFL's best defenses coincided with Phillips' arrival in Week 10. A league-best 14.5 points per game were allowed with Phillips in the lineup. Philadelphia had 17 sacks in eight games prior to trading for Phillips.
In eight games with Phillips, the Eagles had 25 sacks. Phillips was able to command a four-year, $120 million contract, averaging $30 million per year with $80 million in guarantees, of which $60 million was fully guaranteed at signing, from the Carolina Panthers in free agency. His $30 million-per-year deal is 57.1% more than the top edge rusher contract in 2025 free agency.
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